Divergent: Four's POV
by Gracieboo2245
Summary: Basically, this is Divergent told in my interpretation of Four's point of view. This is my first story I've written, so I'd appreciate criticism and reviews and all that if you could. Hope you enjoy :) — I do not own the plot or dialogue of this story, that privilege belongs to Miss Veronica Roth.
1. Chapter 1

As I make my way down the narrow tunnel to meet the group of sixteen year old kids that will be referring to me as their instructor for the next few weeks, I let my mind wander. I think back to when, two years ago, I stood in front of the crowd at the choosing ceremony and cut into my palm, spilling my blood into the lit coals and made the decision that transformed me. I run my fingers over the scar on my left hand, the mark which signifies more than just a change of faction. When I had made my decision to leave Abnegation and join Dauntless, I also chose a life of bravery, and a life separate to the days spent in my abnegation home, turning the horror of reality into memories. I had gone against my father's wishes, but also had ignored the results given to me in my aptitude test, which told me that I truly belonged in Abnegation. I push the thought away as I walk towards Lauren, who was already waiting by the net to greet the new initiates.

"Wonder who's gonna jump first this year," she said to me as I stopped next to her.

"Probably one of the Dauntless born or Erudite," I reply.

She looked like she was about to say something, but stopped when the conversations around us ceased and Max's voice could be heard, from way up above shouting instructions to the initiates. I watch as a shape removes themselves from the group and steps onto the edge of the building above the entrance to the compound.

The initiate hesitates for a moment, then jumps off the ledge and within seconds hits the net. I stand watching her for a moment, stunned. She lies, looking up into the sky as a small laugh escapes her, half relieved and half hysterical. I regain my composure as I lean over the net and offer my hand, along with other Dauntless close to the net. She smiles as she takes my hand and I pull her off the net, steadying her as she stumbles. I can't believe it. A small, blond girl from Abnegation, the first to jump - even I didn't jump first.

"I can't believe it," remarks Lauren, smirking. "A Stiff, the first to jump? Unheard of."

"There's a reason why she left them, Lauren." I reply, studying the Abnegation girl. This is true, she looks different to the Abnegation I've seen. "What's your name?" I ask. She begins to say something, but stops herself. "Think about it," I tell her, a hint of a smile curling my lips. "You don't get to pick again."

The girl looks thoughtful for a moment, then finally she looks at me and says "Tris."

"Tris." Lauren repeats, grinning. "Make the announcement, Four." I look over my shoulder at the crowd of Dauntless waiting in the shadows.

"First jumper - Tris!" I call.

They erupt in cheers and pump their fists in the air. They quiet a little when another jumper comes down, screaming, then they cheer louder. I turn my attention back on Tris, and place a hand on her back. "Welcome to Dauntless."


	2. Chapter 1 Rewritten

_**AN: Hey, so my friend read the first chapter and she said that it didn't seem very "Tobias". So I rewrote it. Please, tell me whether I should delete this or replace the original chapter one with this one or whatever. Also, thanks for the new reviews and follows and favourites and stuff. :) stay cool guys - Grace xx**_

I check my watch. The initiates should be jumping any minute now. The net waits beside me wide and sturdy, lit bright from the sun above. The last time I was here was last years choosing day, and before then, the day I jumped. I didn't want to remember the feeling of inching toward the edge of the building, my mind and my body going haywire with terror. The awful drop, the helpless flailing of the limbs. The slap of the net fibres against my arms and neck.

"You know," Lauren says, "If you were up for some serious studying, we could use you in tech services."

I say, "If you are recruiting, you should talk to Zeke. He's much better than I am."

"Yeah, but Zeke doesn't know when to shut up. We don't recruit for skills as much as compatibility. We spend a lot of time together."

I grin. Zeke does like to surround himself in chatter but that's never bothered me. Sometimes it's nice not needing to provide any conversation. Lauren plays with one of the rings in her eyebrow and we wait.I try to crane my neck to see the top of the building from the ground, but all I can see is sky.

"Bet you it's one of my Dauntless borns." Lauren says.

"It's always a dauntless born. No bet."

They have an unfair advantage - they usually know what is at the bottom of the jump though we try to keep it from them as much as possible. The only time we use this entrance to headquarters is on Choosing Day, but, the dauntless are curious. They explore the compound when they think no one is watching. They also grow up cultivating in themselves the desire to make odd moves, to take drastic action. To commit themselves fully to what they're about to do. It would take a strange kind of transfer to know how to do that without having been taught. Then I see her.

Not a black streak, like I was expecting, but grey, tumbling through the air. I hear the snap of the net pulling taught around the middle supports and it shifts to cradle her. For a second, I stare amazed, at the familiar clothing that she wears, then I put my hand out into the net so she can reach it. She wraps her fingers around mine and I pull her across. As she tumbles over the side, I grab her shoulders to steady her. She's small and thin, fragile looking, like the impact with the net should have shattered her. Her eyes are wide and bright blue.

"Thank you," she says. She make look fragile but her voice her voice is steady.

"I can't believe it," Lauren says, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "A stiff, the first to jump? That's unheard of."

She's right. It is unheard of. It's unheard of for a stiff to join dauntless even. There were no abnegation transfers last year, and before that, for a long time, there was only me.

"There's a reason why she left them" I say, feeling distant from the moment. I pull myself back and say to the initiate "what's your name?"

"Um.." She hesitates, and I feel for a brief moment that I know her. Not from my time in abnegation, and not from school, but on a deeper level. Dissatisfied with the name she has, her eyes and mouth search for a name, just as I felt. My initiation instructor gave me an escape from my old identity. I can give her one too.

"Think about it," I say, a smile playing on my lips, "you don't get to pick again."

"Tris" she says, like she's already sure of it.

"Tris" Lauren says. "Make the announcement Four."

I look over my shoulder at the crowd of dauntless members that have gathered to watch the initiates jump and announce, "First jumper, Tris!"

This way, they'll remember her, not for the grey clothes she wears, but for her first of of bravery, or insanity. Sometimes they can be the same thing. The crowd cheers, and as the sound fills the cavern another initiate plunges into the net, this tine letting out a blood curdling scream. A girl, dressed in Candor black and white. This time, Lauren is the one to reach across the net and pull her out. I touch my hand to Tris's back to guide her towards the stairs just in case she isn't as steady as she appears. As she takes a step, I say "Welcome to Dauntless."


	3. Chapter 2

Lauren and I wait until all of the initiates have jumped before leading them through a narrow path that leads to the compound. I can still recall the first time I walked down this path. The darkness used to be unsettling, but now it comforts me. We stop suddenly, and I hear several of the initiates colliding into others.

"This is where we divide," Lauren says. "The Dauntless-born initiates are with me. I assume you don't need a tour of the place."

More than half of the group break off and follow Lauren. Only nine initiates remain with me. I note that most of the transfers are from Candor and Erudite. There is one Abnegation, and no Amity. Typical.

"Most of the time I work in the control room, but for the next few weeks, I am your instructor." I tell them. " My name is Four." It's not actually, but it is the name I wear around the Dauntless. Four was a nickname given to me by Amar, my instructor during initiation.

"Four? Like the number?" a Candor girl asks.

"Yes," I say. "Is there a problem?"

"No."

"Good. We're about to go into the Pit, which you will someday learn to love. It-"

"The Pit?" the same girl snickers. "Clever name." I have never liked the Candor for their blunt, opinionated attitude, and right now this girl is getting on my nerves. I walk towards her, fixing a cold glare on her.

"What's your name?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Christina," she manages to squeak out.

"Well Christina, if I wanted to put up with Candor smart-mouths, I would have joined their faction," I hiss right into her face. "The first lesson you will learn from me is to keep your mouth shut. Got that?"

She nods, unable to speak. I turn from her and begin walking to the end of the tunnel, and the initiates follow in silence. At the end of the tunnel, it opens out to an underground cavern, known to the Dauntless as the Pit, where we all spend a large amount of leisure time. Narrow paths carved from rock connect living quarters, shops and leisure rooms together. There are no railings in place to keep people from falling. People are everywhere, all dressed in black, Dauntless clothing, bustling about. Again, I think of how different this place is to where I used to call home. I got used to the noise, and it now provides a welcome distraction.

"If you follow me," I say, "I'll show you the chasm."

I lead the group to down a path on the right side of the Pit, towards the iron railing that separates us from the rushing water several stories below. The initiates pool around the barricade to get a better view of the chasm. At the bottom lies a river. To the left, the water is calmer, but on the right the water smashes against rocks, spraying water up towards us. I find the roar of the water to be calming - it helps to drown out unwelcome thoughts.

"This chasm reminds us that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy!" I shout above the roar of the water. "A daredevil jump off this ledge will end your life. It has happened before and it will happen again. You've been warned."

A few minutes later, I lead the group into the dining hall. The brightly lit room currently hosts a few hundred people who are enjoying their meals. The dining hall is alive with noise, just like most of the compound. When the group walks in, the people inside stand to applaud, stamp their feet, and shout. The place is crowded, but I manage to find a mostly empty table at the side of the room. I sit, and am shortly joined by Tris and Christina, Tris in between Christina and I. On the table sits platters of hamburgers. Tris picks one up and inspects the patty. I nudge her with my elbow.

"It's beef," I say. "Put this on it." I pass her a bowl of ketchup.

"You've never had a hamburger before?" Christina asks disbelievingly.

"No," Tris says. "Is that what it's called?"

"Stiffs eat plain food," I explain to Christina.

"Why?" she asks.

"Extravagance is considered self-indulgent and unnecessary," Tris says with a shrug.

"No wonder you left." remarks Christina.

"Yeah," Tris says, rolling her eyes. "It was because of the food."

I fight off a smile. A Stiff that tells jokes? The doors to the cafeteria open and all conversation inside halt as people realise who it is.

"Who's that?" Christina hisses.

"His name is Eric," I tell her. "He's a Dauntless leader."

"Seriously? But he's so young."

I give her a grave look. "Age doesn't matter here."

Not much does. I've been told that a few years ago, Dauntless used to be a faction built on bravery and pride. Over time, their priorities and customs have changed. Bravery no longer stands for the beliefs we used to pride ourselves on. Power is all that governs us ones who have power have the authoritative jobs. Eric stands at the door and scans the room, searching. I tense up the moment his eyes meet mine, and he begins walking towards my table. He drops into the seat next to me, and I remain silent.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce me?" he asks, motioning towards Tris and Christina.

"This is Tris and Christina." I say. Hardly an introduction.

"Ooh, a Stiff," says Eric, taunting Tris. "We'll see how long you last."

Eric has poor judgement; he often makes the mistake of undermining a person's abilities. After all, I, an Abnegation, outranked him during our own initiation. I glance at Tris, who appeared frozen in place. I don't blame her. Eric, even without his piercings and greasy hair is threatening.

"What have you been doing lately, Four?" he asks.

I shrug as casually as I can."Nothing, really."

"Max tells me he keeps trying to meet with you, and you don't show up," Eric says. "He requested that I find out what's going on with you."

I hold his gaze for a couple of seconds. "Tell him that I am satisfied with the position I currently hold."

"So he wants to give you a job."

"So it would seem." I say. I sense his alertness; he perceives me to be a potential threat to his position. I can understand why, but he must not be clueless to the fact that a position of power is not something I am looking for.

"And you aren't interested."

"I haven't been interested for two years."

"Well," says Eric. "Let's hope he gets the point, then."

He claps me on the shoulder, a little too hard for it to be a friendly gesture, and walks away. From the corner of my eye, I see Tris relax.

"Are you two...friends?" she asks.

"We were in the same initiate class," I tell her. "He transferred from Erudite."

"Were you a transfer too?" she continues. She's surprisingly curious for an Abnegation.

"I thought I would only have trouble with the Candor asking too many questions," I reply coldly. "Now I've got Stiffs, too?"

"It must be because you're so approachable," she says flatly. "You know. Like a bed of nails."

I stare at her; I can't figure her out. I have never met a Stiff who challenged people like this. She holds my gaze, her eyes never wavering, not even for a fraction of a second. _She left them for a reason,_ my words come back to me.

"Careful, Tris." I say quietly.

Someone calls my name from another table, so I finish my dinner quickly and leave to join my friends. We talk about nothing in particular, so I find my mind wandering again. I decided that after this years initiation, I would leave Dauntless. I joined to escape my father, and because the Dauntless had seemed like the most logical answer. At first it was fine, and I felt like I could belong. But as time went on, I began to see the flaws in my faction. I think about Tris, and wonder. What made her change factions? Even more, why did she choose Dauntless, of all the factions. We have the toughest initiation, and she seems too small, too fragile for it. I wonder if she will make it. I find myself wanting to protect her from the ruthlessness of this faction, but that's ridiculous. I'm ridiculous. She's just another transfer, another possible initiate. I shouldn't be wasting my time on her. After a little while, I leave my friends and make my way to my apartment. I sit on my bed, and before long my mind becomes foggy and I slip into sleep.


	4. Chapter 3

I woke with a start early in the morning. He was in my dreams. No, my nightmares. I sigh and scratch my head. I may have escaped my father in reality, but he can still haunt me in my sleep. I have a bit of time before I need to be in the training room with the initiates at eight fifteen, so now is a good time for a run. I get out of bed and get dressed, not bothering to have a shower before I get outside the compound. What's the point after all? I'm going to need one afterwards anyway. Running makes me feel free and reckless. The wind presses my shirt against me as I run, and I let my mind go. That's what I love about it - I can let go and escape everything; the noise of the Dauntless, Eric watching my every move, my father and, the Stiff.

When I return to the compound, I have a shower and make my way to the training room. I walk in, and find that the initiates are already there, waiting. They stand in a line, and I skim my eyes over each face.

"The first thing you will learn today is how to shoot a gun. The second thing is how to win a fight," I inform them. I make my way down the line, pressing a gun into each of their hands. "Thankfully, if you are here you already know how to get on and off a moving train, so I don't need to teach you that."

I glance at the group again, and notice that most of their eyes are still heavy from sleep. "Initiation is divided into three stages. We will measure your progress and rank you according to your performance in each stage. The stages are not weighed equally in determining your final rank, so it is possible, though difficult, to drastically improve your rank over time." I pause to let the information sink in. We believe that preparation eradicates cowardice, which we define as the failure to act in the midst of fear," I say.

"Therefore each stage of initiation is intended to prepare you in a different way. The first stage is primarily physical; the second, primarily emotional; the third, primarily mental."

"But what does firing a gun have to do with bravery?" One of the initiates asked through a large yawn. I stand directly in front of him and stare into his eyes. Without looking away, I flip the gun in my hand and press the barrel to his head, clicking a bullet in place. He freezes, the yawn dead in his mouth.

"Wake. Up," I snap at him. "You are holding a loaded gun, you idiot. Act like it."

I lower the gun and his eyes harden as the immediate threat has gone. Surprisingly enough, he doesn't say anything in retaliation. The Candor has already learnt it is smart to keep his mouth shut in this place.

I begin pacing up and down the line, looking into each initiate's eyes as I say, "and to answer you question, you are far less likely to soil your pants and cry for your mother if you're prepared to defend yourself." I pause, and stop pacing. "This is also information you may need later in stage one. So, watch me."

I turn towards the targets lining the opposite wall. I part my feet shoulder width apart, and lift the gun I hold with both hands. I breathe in and focus on the middle of the target. I pull the trigger and exhale. The bullet hit the dead centre of the target. I step back and lean against the wall to watch the initiates. My eyes sweep up and down a few times, then rest on Tris. She's so much thinner and shorter than the rest of the initiates, and she's having trouble just holding the gun.

My eyes stay on her as her small arms slowly push the gun out from her chest, aim and shoot. But she wasn't ready for the kickback on the gun, and she is thrown backwards. She rests a hand on the wall to steady herself and takes a breath. I follow her gaze to the target - I have no idea where her bullet went but it is safe to say it was nowhere near close to the target. Tris sighs, and fires again and again and again. None of her bullets hit the target. She reminds me of the first time I shot a gun, in this room two years ago. I didn't stumble like her, nor did I miss as many times, but her wariness and hesitation with the gun reflect my own reaction to it. I smile a little at the thought of having something in common with her. An Erudite boy next to her, Will, turns and says something to her, and Tris turns and fires, hitting the target finally. She glances at Will, and they both begin laughing. I feel a pang of jealousy, but I couldn't imagine why.. As time goes on, everyone's target is riddled with holes, even Tris manages to hit her target a few times. Eventually, a bullet finds it's way to the middle of her target and she lowers her gun, smiling.


	5. Chapter 4

**_AN: Alright, I'll try to make this short because I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't like reading these :P I'm sorry I haven't updated for a while, school started again this week so I've been busy with homework and stuff. So I'm sorry about that. I think I'll post a few chapters every weekend, maybe one during the week if you're lucky ;) Also, I just wanna say thanks for the first reviews, it makes me feel like I'm not completely hopeless at this. - Grace xx_**

We break for lunch, and I eat quickly. I leave the dining hall to put up the faded punching bags in the training room before the initiates come. I son as I string them up, one by one. This was the stage of initiation I hated the most - having to pummel the other transfers to prove my strength. I've never agreed with fighting, my abnegation side disapproves. I finish hanging up the bags, and just as I finish, the initiates start to enter the room. They line up next to the bags, and I moved to stand in front of them where they could all see me.

"As I said this morning," I start, "next you will learn how to fight. The purpose of this is to prepare you to act; to prepare your body to respond to threats and challenges - which you will need, if you intend to survive life in Dauntless."

That isn't quite true - Dauntless values bravery and pride. To survive in Dauntless, all you have to do is embody those characteristics.

"We will go over technique today," I continue, "and tomorrow you will start to fight each other, so I recommend that you pay attention. Those who don't learn fast will get hurt."

I then demonstrate a number of punches for the transfers, first against the air then against a bag. I allow myself to relax slightly while hitting the bag - this is what I know, what my body is trained to do. I step back and allow the initiates to practice, the sound of skin hitting tough fabric filling the room. I pace back and forth in front of them, analysing each initiate, noting their strengths and weaknesses. It takes a while for everyone to get accustomed with the motions, but soon many of them have their bags swinging fairly easily.

I come to a stop in front of Tris, who appears to be having the most trouble. I stand quietly, studying her movements from head to toe.

"You don't have much muscle," I tell her, "which means you're better off using your knees and elbows. You can put more power behind them." I press a hand to her stomach, and feel her stiffen at my touch.

"Never forget to keep tension here," I advise her quietly.

I remove my hand and continue my pacing. A while later, I release them for dinner. The rooms clears out quickly. After the last initiate is gone, I shut off the lights and begin to make my way to the dining hall. I am about to push open the doors when Eric calls out to me.

"Four! I'm going to be watching over the physical stage of training." I struggle to keep composed as I turn to him and reply.

"Do as you wish Eric."

"I'm also going to be choosing the pairings for the fights."

"Alright." Is all I say as he claps me on the shoulder, a little too hard.

I enter the dining hall with a feeling of dread washing over me. If Eric is choosing the fights, he will not choose fairly. He is sadistic; enjoys watching the weak being preyed on. I realise now that I must hide my interest in the small Abnegation girl, or Eric will surely use that interest against me. I shake off the feeling as I sit with my friends. Whatever Eric does, I cannot argue with.


End file.
